Enchanting Hotels enjoys welcoming new members to its collection and the month of March is a happy time of the year for that reason alone. Not only is it the beginning of Spring in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of new life for flora and fauna, but it is also the beginning of a new chapter for Enchanting Hotels. A new member in the form of a hillside hotel with fantastic views of the western Central Valley, nestled into a coffee plantation and where each villa is unique and full of beautifully restored antique furniture. Enchanting Hotels welcomes Hotel Don Ernesto into the collection! Bienvenido! Wilkommen! bienvenue à!
The Enchanting Hotel Collection is a compilation of boutique hotels located in the most beautiful of places in every corner of Costa Rica. Each hotel offers a distinctive experience of this amazingly diverse little country. Whether it is on the beach, in the city, on the slopes, or with views of a volcano, high up in the green mountains, on the banks of a water canal, a wetland of a tropical fiord, there is an Enchanting Hotel for all preferences of a delightful stay in nature.
For this reason, it is no wonder that Hotel Don Ernesto now belongs to this collection of unique stays in memorable places. Inspired by the typical Costa Rica country homes of yesteryear and upcycled from what was once a Spanish school, Hotel Don Ernesto is now the exemplification of old school Costa Rica with all the modern conveniences of a luxury experience.
Let´s explore Hotel Don Ernesto and see what this experience is all about!
Tell me a bit more about the property
Hotel Don Ernesto is a boutique hotel with 20 rooms, all different in their design but with certain aspects that are the hotel’s signature traits.
- All the rooms and common areas are filled with beautifully restored antique furniture that replicates the homes of Costa Rica of yesteryear.
- The predominant color is blue which has always been the favorite color of the old homes of Costa Rica. The blue is found in the bed coverings and many other details retaining the Costa Rica traditions.
The casitas or free-standing rooms are spacious, with windows that invite the Santa Ana sun and fresh mountain air into the delicately decorated spaces. Surrounded by abundant vegetation, each room is named after a tree that is found next to it and that can be enjoyed through the window or as you enter. Details matter and Hotel Don Ernesto does details so very well.
The hotel was once a Spanish learning center and the now rooms were the classrooms and other common areas. The transformation is amazing and the attention to detail focused on “tradition” is admirable. This is a work of love and inspiration by the owner and her desire to share the beauty of Costa Rica and its history with the Hotel Don Ernesto guests.
Where is Hotel Don Ernesto
Hotel Don Ernesto is located in the Central Valley, about 45 minutes from the center of San Jose, Costa Rica´s capital city, and only 30 minutes from the Juan Santamaria International Airport. While the hotel is “technically” part of the city of San Jose, it is on the far western outskirts, up on a hillside that is covered in coffee plantations.
So, while you are close to the city, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, and business centers, you are immersed in nature, the song of birds, and the aromas of the forest. Sitting on the mountainside, above the suburb of Santa Ana, you wouldn´t know that you are just minutes from one of San Jose´s most uptown strips of liveliness characteristic of a bustling, modern city.
What unique experiences does Hotel Don Ernesto offer?
Hotel Don Ernesto actually belongs to a much bigger project. It is called Hotel Don Ernesto by La Chimba. What is La Chimba? Not only do guests enjoy this unique hotel and its amenities, but it is also part of Hacienda La Chimba which includes a trail up through the coffee plantation with some strategic “Instagram” worthy photo opportunities, coffee tours, high-ropes, and a zipline tour.
Within the hotel, there are some special places to enjoy while listening to the birds and the sounds of the forest. These include:
- Sun-kissed pool with views of the western edge of the Central Valley and Poas Volcano
- Yoga Deck overlooking the fantastic pool area.
- Fratello Blue Restaurant offers delicious Costa Rican inspired dishes
- Meeting rooms that offer a new way of doing business
- Spa and Wellness center
- Bar “El Gato” – The Cat Bar
- Beautiful gardens with native trees and plants
- Every “casita” or room is uniquely designed. No two are alike.
- Sitting areas in the gardens for quiet contemplation or fun conversations
- Verandahs with a view of the Central Valley
Are there activities close by?
Thanks to its location, Hotel Don Ernesto is close to everything yet far away enough to feel you are in the seclusion of a mountainside retreat. The best of both worlds to say the least.
Located on the west side of San Jose, this is where the best restaurants, shopping, business centers, and nightlife can be found. It is also not far from Route 27 which will take you to the Pacific Ocean and into the center of San Jose for some further cultural and historical stimulus. Go from the historical coffee-based landscape to the cityscape that was shaped thanks to coffee. Check out the National Theater to see just how important coffee is to Costa Rica!
Route 27 will also take you to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean whether you go Central, South, or north to Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula. You will hit the coast in less than an hour and a half from Hotel Don Ernesto so lots of day-trip and overnights can be enjoyed during your stay.
Hotel Don Ernesto, while on the other side of the Central Valley, it is also not far from the iconic Poas Volcano which is a day trip worth doing. Get up to see the crater early in the morning and enjoy the cool, mountain climate immersed in the rainforest, coffee and flower plantations, strawberries, and quaint rural towns before returning to the warmth of your retreat.
Enchanting Hotels is so very happy to welcome Hotel Don Ernesto to the family of exclusive, boutique hotels that ensure a unique experience in Costa Rica. Like its fellow family members, Hotel Don Ernesto offers a stay unlike no other, an Enchanting Hotel specialty. So, when will you visit?
